Nancy Pelosi: Democrats should skip the convention

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi says Democratic members should stay home and campaign in their districts rather than go to the party’s national convention in North Carolina.

“I’m not encouraging anyone to go to the convention, having nothing to do with anything except I think they should stay home, campaign in their districts, use their financial and political resources to help them win their election,” Pelosi said in an exclusive interview for POLITICO Live’s “On Congress,” a new weekly show to be streamed live on POLITICO’s website and broadcast on NewsChannel 8 on Wednesdays.

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The California Democrat suggested that since Barack Obama is an incumbent, there is less of a need for Democrats to attend the convention.

“We nominated a president last time. We have an incumbent president of the United States. We’re very proud of him. There certainly will be enough people there to express that pride, but I’m not encouraging members to go to the convention no matter what the situation was, because they can be home. It’s campaign time. It’s the first week in September,” she said.

In addition, Pelosi also wouldn’t commit to serving in the leadership of the 113th Congress.

“I wouldn’t assume anything,” she told POLITICO editor-in-chief John Harris and reporter Lois Romano. “I would just assume that Democrats would win and we would stop the obstruction of the president’s agenda. I think it’s fair to say that most people don’t have the faintest idea about leadership races in the Congress.”

Indeed, Pelosi tried to downplay her importance, even as Harris asked whether voters could fairly ask what leadership team they were voting for if they were considering a Democratic candidate.

“I think it’s probably the least important aspect of everything that we have spoken about,” Pelosi said. “I’m flattered that you think so much attention should be focused on me. … My service here, or my role in leadership here really relates to issues, and the health care issue is a very big issue for me now that the Supreme Court has acted. I feel very comfortable about what was done there.”

Pelosi also criticized Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for not releasing more years of his tax returns — “the American people seem to want to know,” she said.

“His father set the standard for transparency. … This is a tradition that he is breaking not only personal in his family but for candidates for president of the United States. You want to run for president, the ante is upped,” Pelosi told POLITICO Live.

But when asked whether she would release her own tax returns to make it clear that Democrats are more transparent, the minority leader simply said, “When I run for president, I will.”

Readers' Comments (74)

This is just why democrats aren't going to win, the last thing we want is to implement even more socialist programs and create even more ways to throttle the economy and raise taxes. These people really think what you work hard for is theirs!

Pelosi also criticized Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for not releasing more years of his tax returns - “the American people seem to want to know,” she said.

"But when asked whether she would release her own tax returns to make it clear that Democrats are more transparent, the minority leader simply joked, “When I run for President, I will.”

Spin, spin, spin. Would someone have the decency to put a muzzle on that botox face motor mouth. Any time she opens that trap she puts her foot in it.

What this American person wants to know is what was in the fast and furious records that obama declared executive privilege on. We want to know why obama has spent time and money sealing his college records - transcripts, admissions ...... We want to know how he was able to travel to a country on our no fly list back when he was gallavanting around the world. He either had forged documents or foreign status, but hey he's lied to the "American people" about so many things.

Spend the big party/convention on the deficit, and Dems become the good guys. These parties are a huge waste of money. Spend more at local levels & skip spending just to have a good time. Keep putting ideas out there to improve the economy, explain what the party has done, be totally able to answer any & all charges that the GOP come up with, dig deeper into the GOP, at all levels. Fight to win.

Spend the big party/convention on the deficit, and Dems become the good guys. These parties are a huge waste of money. Spend more at local levels & skip spending just to have a good time. Keep putting ideas out there to improve the economy, explain what the party has done, be totally able to answer any & all charges that the GOP come up with, dig deeper into the GOP, at all levels. Fight to win.

Pelosi has given official political cover to those incumbents who plan to skip the convention. Now it supposedly won't be big news when the next announces to stay home. Although it is pretty clear that those not going are trying to distance themselves from the Administration prior to the election, the voters should not be under any illusion that these Democrats will not hesitate to vote party line if they are returned to Washington. It is just a ruse for the rubes.

Fellow Tar Heels! Forever let Pelosi's words ring in your ears. The libs are mad at you because they're having a harder time selling their phony, no substance brand of "hope and change" this go round. You aren't giving them the succor and automaton allegiance the Dems demand. As in Chicago, if you don't kiss the ring and join the mob, you get cut off. It's a quid pro quo Obama/Pelosi world, remember that if you want to get the goodies.

Good for you, North Carolina. Sometimes it takes awhile for the truth to come out, ala John Edwards (who was adored and swooned over too) but fool you once, shame of the scam artists; fool you twice, shame on you, NC. It's lookin' good my brethren and sistren in Tar Heelia will not be fooled twice.